Ykhjuy

I'm looking for ideas to improve the layout of the following table.

• Is there a better way to separate ABC Metrics and XYZ Metrics (other than using separate table for each metric)?


• Should I convert Algorithms row into a column?


• Should I convert Dataset row into a column?

I would appreciate any ideas, thanks.

documentclass{article}



usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}  

usepackage{tabularx,ragged2e,booktabs}



begin{document}



begin{table*}[!ht]

        caption{Evaluation results}

        centering

        setlength{tabcolsep}{4pt}

        begin{tabularx}{textwidth}{>{hsize=1.9hsizebfseriesRaggedRight}X!{extracolsep{fill}}*{6}{>{centeringarraybackslashhsize=0.48hsize}X}}

                toprule[1pt]midrule[0.3pt]

                multicolumn{7}{c}{textbf{ABC Metrics}} \ midrule[0.3pt]

                textbf{Algorithm}& multicolumn{2}{c}{textit{Algo 1}} & multicolumn{2}{c}{textit{Algo 2}} & multicolumn{2}{c}{textit{Algo 3}} \

                cmidrule(lr){2-3} cmidrule(lr){4-5} cmidrule(lr){6-7}%

                {Dataset} & $D_1$ & $D_2$ & $D_1$ & $D_2$ & $D_1$ & $D_2$ \

                addlinespace%

                {Matric 1} & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \

                addlinespace%

                {Matric 2} & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \

                addlinespace%

                {Matric 3} & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \

                addlinespace

                {Matric 4} & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \

                midrule

                multicolumn{7}{c}{textbf{XYZ Metrics}} \ midrule[0.3pt]

                textbf{Algorithm}& multicolumn{2}{c}{textit{Algo 1}} & multicolumn{2}{c}{textit{Algo 2}} & multicolumn{2}{c}{textit{Algo 3}} \

                cmidrule(lr){2-3} cmidrule(lr){4-5} cmidrule(lr){6-7}%

                {Matric 5} & multicolumn{2}{c}{0} & multicolumn{2}{c}{0} & multicolumn{2}{c}{0} \ addlinespace

                {Matric 6} & multicolumn{2}{c}{0} & multicolumn{2}{c}{0} & multicolumn{2}{c}{0} \

                midrule[0.3pt]bottomrule[1pt]

        end{tabularx}

end{table*}



end{document}

i only repair some inconsistencies in your column width calculation. the sum of the defined widths is 4.78. but it should be an integer number. all other is opinion based ...

my suggestion for your table code (with some opinion based changes and simplification of writing) is:

documentclass{article}

usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}

usepackage[skip=1ex]{caption}



usepackage{ragged2e}

usepackage{booktabs,tabularx}

newcommandmcc[1]{multicolumn{2}{c}{#1}}



begin{document}

    begin{table}[!ht]

caption{Evaluation results}

centering

begin{tabularx}{textwidth}{

>{hsize=0.4hsizebfseriesRaggedRight}X

*{6}{>{hsize=0.1hsizecenteringarraybackslash}X}}

    toprule

multicolumn{7}{c}{textbf{ABC Metrics}} \

    midrule

textbf{Algorithm}

    & mcc{textit{Algo 1}} & mcc{textit{Algo 2}} & mcc{textit{Algo 3}} \

    cmidrule(lr){2-3} cmidrule(lr){4-5} cmidrule(lr){6-7}%

Dataset     & $D_1$ & $D_2$ & $D_1$ & $D_2$ & $D_1$ & $D_2$ \

    midrule

 Matric 1   & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \

    addlinespace%

Matric 2    & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \

    addlinespace%

Matric 3    & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \

    addlinespace

Matric 4    & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \

    midrule

multicolumn{7}{c}{textbf{XYZ Metrics}} \ midrule[0.3pt]

textbf{Algorithm}

    & mcc{textit{Algo 1}} & mcc{textit{Algo 2}} & mcc{textit{Algo 3}} \

    cmidrule(lr){2-3} cmidrule(lr){4-5} cmidrule(lr){6-7}%

{Matric 5} & mcc{0} & mcc{0} & mcc{0} \ 

    addlinespace

{Matric 6} & mcc{0} & mcc{0} & mcc{0} \

    bottomrule

end{tabularx}

    end{table}

end{document}

which gives:

Some general observations and comments:

• I don't understand why you're using 1 tabularx environment for two structures that don't look all that much connected. I'd use two separate environments.




• Since there appears to be no line-wrapping whatsoever, I don't understand why you'd be using a tabularx environment to begin with. Why not use a tabular* environment? For that matter, why not use tabular environments?

Some more specific comments:

• Using bold-facing and/or italics in the header cells is a transparent attempt to compensate for the lack of clear visual structure. With such an approach, you are mostly going to come across as somebody who (a) isn't particularly well organized and (b) thinks it's ok to shout at people. The people I know, though, very much prefer not to be shouted at. Your experience may differ...




• Based on the information you've provided, the material can easily be presented in two separate, side-by-side tabular environments.

The following solution tries to present the material without any shouting, while still trying to be visually "open" and inviting.

PS. What's a "matric"?

documentclass{article}

usepackage[margin=1in,letterpaper]{geometry}  

usepackage[skip=0.5baselineskip]{caption} % optional

usepackage{array,booktabs}



begin{document}

begin{table}[!ht]

   setlengthtabcolsep{10pt} % default: 6pt

   caption{Evaluation results}   



   begin{tabular}[t]{@{} l *{6}{c} @{}}

   multicolumn{7}{@{}l}{ABC Metrics, for datasets $D_1$ and $D_2$} \ 

   toprule

   & multicolumn{6}{c@{}}{Algorithm}\

   cmidrule(l){2-7}

   & multicolumn{2}{c}{Algo 1} 

   & multicolumn{2}{c}{Algo 2} 

   & multicolumn{2}{c@{}}{Algo 3} \

   cmidrule(lr){2-3} cmidrule(lr){4-5} cmidrule(l){6-7}

   & $D_1$ & $D_2$ & $D_1$ & $D_2$ & $D_1$ & $D_2$ \

   midrule

   Matric 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \

   Matric 2 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \

   Matric 3 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \

   Matric 4 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \

   bottomrule

   end{tabular}

   hspace{fill}

   begin{tabular}[t]{@{} l ccc @{}}

   multicolumn{4}{@{}l}{XYZ Metrics} \ 

   toprule

   & multicolumn{3}{c@{}}{Algorithm}\ 

   cmidrule(l){2-4}

   & Algo 1 & Algo 2 & Algo 3 \

   midrule

   Matric 5 & 0 & 0 & 0 \ 

   Matric 6 & 0 & 0 & 0 \ 

   bottomrule

   end{tabular}

end{table}

end{document}